


Arielle Potter - Book One

by HPFandom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-05
Updated: 2011-06-24
Packaged: 2018-10-01 01:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10177874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPFandom_archivist/pseuds/HPFandom_archivist
Summary: Arielle Potter is an unusual girl. Not only is she a witch, she is also the only one to thaw the heart of Severus Snape. Read how Arielle starts a family with the dour Potions Master in this, first, book of the series.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HP Fandom](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HP_Fandom_\(archive\)), which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HP Fandom collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hpfandom/profile).

  
_—CHAPTER ZERO—  
 **Prologue**_  
* * * * *

"James Heron Potter, I am so going to kill you!" shrieked the disgruntled woman on the bed.

The young man, to whom she was referring to, gulped nervously. He knew better then to contradict his wife. Instead of replying he just kissed her sweaty forehead and put his forehead against hers. The woman relaxed slightly as the contraction stopped. She sighed in relief and closed her eyes. Her husband gently wiped the sweat off her forehead and said, "Come on, Lils. I know you can do it . . ."

Lils or Lily Rose Potter, nee Evans, opened her eyes and smiled slightly at the nervous look that James Potter had on his face. "Yeah, I know . . ." she whispered. James smiled at her and gave her a soft kiss before another contraction came. The Healer that was assigned to the young couple rushed in the room and quickly checked the young woman.

"You can start pushing now, Mrs Potter," he said while cleaning his hands with a spell. Lily nodded and looked at James. He kissed her again and took her hand. Lily turned her attention on the Healer and after receiving a nod, started pushing. After a few minutes, some "I’ll kill you”, "I’m never having another baby again" and "I’m going to castrate you" threats from Lily and some pushes later a loud yell filled the room. Lily leaned herself back on her pillows and breathed deeply while James wiped her forehead gently.

The Healer checked the baby and wrapped it in a pink blanket. He turned towards the newly turned parents and gave them a smile. "Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Potter. You have given birth to a healthy little girl.”

He put the little bundle in the mother’s awaiting arms and left the room. Lily looked at the girl in her arms and then up to James. Smiling softly she said, "Look what we brought in this world." James smiled through his tears and nodded. He couldn’t find words to express what he felt at the moment. He fumbled a little with the blanket until he reached the little fingers. He smiled as they closed in around his index finger. The girl yawned at that specific moment and opened her eyes for the first time. James gasped in surprise and found himself totally and utterly lost within those emerald green orbs that were looking at him curiously.

"They’re just like your eyes, Lily," the young father whispered. Lily grinned and replied, "Well, that’s about the only thing she got from me. Look at her hair! Even now when she’s just a baby they stick up at all the places.”

James grinned sheepishly. "What can I do? Blame it on the Potter genes . . ." 

He was about to say something else when the doors banged open and two of his best friends stormed in the hospital room. He laughed silently as he saw the mess that was their hair. They must have paced all around the hospital and pulled their hands through their hair to get their hair-style like this.

The taller one had long black hair that was currently a mess and grey eyes that were looking nervous, mischievous, hopeful and happy at the same time. How that was possible, James still didn’t know. The other one was slightly shorter than the first one and had sandy-brown hair that reached his ears and amber eyes. He was calmer then the first one but only a little. His eyes widened as he saw the bundle in Lily’s arms.

"Moony, Padfoot!" he heard someone say and raised his eyes to the hazel eyes of his best friend and the father of that little miracle that was looking at him now.

One look at the little baby and he was lost too.

He awoke at the fast bark of laughter that his other friend was famous for and turned his attention to the black haired man that was known as Padfoot or Sirius Black. The young man bounded to the bed and peered down at the girl. He yelped in surprise as the girl’s fingers found their way to his nose and grabbed it.

Laughter filled the room.

"So, what’s the name of my goddaughter?" Sirius asked cheekily. Lily and James burst into laughter and James asked, "Who ever said that you’re her godfather, Padfoot?" Sirius’ face fell and he started sniffling. James rolled her eyes and added, "It’s Arielle. Arielle Lily Potter. And of course you’re her godfather Sirius, don’t be stupid.”

Sirius looked up again and gave his happiest grin ever. He bounded back to the amber-eyed man that was also known as Moony or Remus Lupin and yelled, "Did you hear that Moony? Did you? Huh? Huh?" Remus couldn’t help himself but to laugh at the exuberance of his friend. He wandered to the bed too and said, "She’s beautiful, James, Lily. You’ll have a tough time fending off potential boyfriends in a few years.”

James paled at the thought and Lily just laughed tiredly. James seemed to notice this as he shooed his friends out of the room a few minutes later (after they both fell in love with the girl hopelessly of course). That left the two parents alone. They each shared a small kiss and then Lily went to sleep while James watched over his daughter, which was silently sleeping in his arms, like a hawk.

* * * * *

Two weeks later, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry got a letter from Lily Potter, formerly Evans about the christening of one Arielle Lily Potter. Dumbledore smiled at the letter until he saw the birth date. Frowning at it he quickly pulled a copy of the Hogwarts Registry on his desk and leafed through it.

He stopped as he saw that there were two names that were added in the last days of July.  
Still frowning, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore quickly strode to the fireplace. Grabbing a little Floo powder the old man threw the powder in the fire and after it turned green stepped in and yelled his destination in a clear voice, "Potter Residence!”

He got swept away and gracefully stepped out of the home of Lily and James Potter. He looked around and noticed that no one seemed to be in the room. He went out to the living room and couldn’t help but smile.

James Potter was lying on the couch, sleeping, with a baby wrapped on his chest. The baby girl was happily playing with her stuffed wolf and Lily Evan- no, she was a Potter now, was silently reading a book on an armchair across from them. Dumbledore cleared his throat quietly and watched in amusement as Lily dropped the book and whipped out her wand and pointed it at him. Sighing, Lily dropped the wand and went to greet her former Headmaster and current Head of the Order of the Phoenix. 

"Hello Albus. What brings you here? We weren’t expecting you until Arielle’s christening . . ." Lily trailed off with a curious expression on her face. Albus Dumbledore chuckled silently but turned serious quickly after that. With a solemn voice he said,

"I came here to talk to you and James about something that I think you should know, since I believe it concerns your daughter.”

Seeing the serious expression on her mentor’s face, Lily shivered slightly and went over to her husband and daughter. She motioned for the old wizard to take a seat and gently poked James in the ribs, while taking Arielle from the young man’s chest. James blearily opened his eyes and started to say something when he caught sight of the Headmaster. Quickly sitting straight on the couch he said, "Good Afternoon, Albus.”

Dumbledore returned the greeting and turned his attention on the baby in Lily’s arms. Sighing sadly he said, "I came here today because I suspect that Arielle is one of the two babies that a prophecy that was made earlier this year is speaking off.”

There, he said it. Blunt as an axe. The two elder Potters blinked and stared at Dumbledore. "Wha?" said James. Lily was the first one to recuperate and asked, "What prophecy?”

Dumbledore sighed and recited, after charming the place full with Silencing, and Secrecy spells, so that they wouldn’t’ be overheard, _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches . . . Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies . . . And the Dark Lord will mark her as his equal, but she will have power the Dark Lord knows not . . . And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives . . . The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies . . ."_

The living room of the Potter Residence was eerily quiet. After a few minutes it was Arielle that broke the silence by squealing happily as she managed to hug the dog around its neck. Lily started breathing again while James stood up and started pacing the floor.

"That’s horrible," whispered Lily as she regained her wits. Dumbledore lowered his head while James started ranting, "How can our daughter have the power to kill Voldemort? She’s only a baby! Heck, she’s two weeks old! She—" Lily broke him off as she asked, "Who is the other kid that the prophecy could be about?”

Dumbledore sighed again and said, "It’s Neville Longbottom. He was born just a day before Arielle here. But as he’s a boy the prophecy couldn’t be talking about him." He was quiet for a minute and then he said, "I’m sorry James, Lily. I’m afraid you’ll have to go into hiding. Voldemort’s agents have heard part of the prophecy and I don’t want to take any risks. You are to find yourselves a Secret Keeper and go into hiding immediately.”

Lily looked at James with fright and James hurried over and hugged his wife while staring at Dumbledore. Then he kissed his wife on her forehead and hurried out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with Sirius in tow. Sirius was looking disgruntled as though he just woke up . . . which in retrospect wasn’t as unbelievable as Dumbledore would have thought.

The two Potters quickly filled Sirius in and he agreed to be the family’s Secret Keeper. Dumbledore offered himself as the Secret Keeper but the Potters politely refused. 

It was only a year and a few months later that Dumbledore regretted not persuading them into making him a Secret Keeper. A year and a few months later it was too late, as Lord Voldemort attacked the village in which James and Lily were hiding, killed them both and made Arielle the Girl-Who-Lived and an orphan while disappearing himself. On 31st October 1981 the First War was over. The Wizarding World was rejoicing and hailing,

"Long live the Girl-Who-Lived! All hail to Arielle Lily Potter!"


	2. ... And the Story Begins

  
Author's notes: we meet an eleven-year-old Arielle and the Dursleys.  


* * *

  
_—CHAPTER ONE—  
 **. . . and the Story Begins!**_  
* * * * *

If you looked around the house of number 4, Privet Drive, you wouldn't notice that almost ten years have passed. But they indeed have as the pictures on the tables and walls have changed from a small pink piggy to a large pink pig. Well, not literally. That was just Dudley, the son of Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

If someone looked in the house, he would think, 'Oh my, what a normal looking house!' and he or she would be right. But . . . the family held a dark secret. At least in their opinion. You see, almost ten years ago, on the 1st of November 1981 to be exact, a small bundle was left on their doorstep and the Dursleys didn't have a choice but to take that bundle into the house and sealing the contract with doing this.

That bundle was Arielle Lily Potter.

* * * * *

At the moment the petite girl made her way to the kitchen where she had to make breakfast for her cousin. It was his birthday, namely. She sighed as she massaged her shoulder which was dislocated from where Uncle Vernon threw her in her cupboard. Arielle Potter was not your every day girl. And that wasn't just because she was beaten to a pulp every time something strange happened around her. Her stature was petite, which could be contributed to her being malnourished all the time. You see, the Dursleys often forgot about her, her being locked in her cupboard. She was often starved and that wasn't doing her any good. She had long curly jet-black hair that seemed to never be completely neat. She wasn't allowed to comb it nor wash it, so it lay limply on her back, her curls in a greasy lump. She didn't even know how it really looked like! She was wearing a black skirt, which had many holes in it and since Aunt Petunia said that she won't waste any time on the girl, she didn't sew the holes. Her jumper was milky grey, but that could be because it was so washed that even Arielle couldn't remember the original colour.

The only interesting thing on her were her brilliant green eyes that once remembered of an emerald, but were now dull with sadness and hopelessness. She also had a scar on her forehead that resembled a lightning bolt. As hard as she tried to remember how she got the scar, she couldn't remember anything but a green light and a woman's scream. The one time she asked her Aunt how her parents died, the answer was, "They died in a car crash . . . And don't ask questions!"

. . . Don't ask questions! This was the rule number one when it came to Arielle. She was never allowed to ask questions. She was never allowed anything really. Sometimes Arielle would dream of a distant relative, coming to save her from her sad fate, but no one ever came and Arielle was starting to lose hope. 

Turning her attention back on the task in front of her — making breakfast — Arielle sighed softly. Putting the eggs and the bacon on three plates she put them on the table and went to sit on the chair that was in the corner of the kitchen. Apparently, her Uncle found it funny watching her looking at them eat. What a sadistic bastard, thought Arielle with a mental sneer. After the family (which didn't include Arielle) ate their breakfast, Dudley turned his attention to his presents. There were many of them. Big, small, short and long.

Arielle was just about to slowly make her way to her cupboard when Dudley started complaining about there being only thirty six presents. That ensued to a fight that ended with Aunt Petunia's promise to buy him two new presents when they went to the Zoo. Arielle opened the door, just as the telephone begun to ring. Aunt Petunia picked the telephone up and started talking to whoever it was that called. Arielle made her way to her cupboard as Aunt Petunia finished the conversation. Her Aunt had a look on her face that could make the milk go sour. The older woman walked towards Uncle Vernon and said, "Mrs Figg just called. She said she broke her leg . . . She can't take the insolent girl."

Arielle sighed in relief. It wasn't that she didn't like Mrs Figg; it was just the cats that got on her nerves. Not that she didn't like cats . . . it was just those cats that she didn't like. Mrs Figg had an obsession about cats and told her numerous stories every time she had to stay there, which was a lot, since the Dursleys never took her anywhere. Turning her attention back to the conversation between her Aunt and Uncle she gave a jolt as her Uncle said, "Well, we'll just have to take her with us. I won't be leaving her here alone! She would blow up something even before we got back."

And that started another temper tantrum of the famous actor Dudley. He started wailing and sobbing and yelled, "I d-don't w-want her t-to come! S-she always r-ruins everything!"

Yeah, right, Arielle thought. When have I ever gone out with you before to ruin something? 

But he did have a point. Everywhere that Arielle would go, something strange would happen. Just last week there was this accident with where Dudley and his gang were once again Arielle Attack and suddenly she found herself in a park near Wisteria Walk. And she was on Privet Drive only a few moments ago. It seemed almost as if she had disappeared and reappeared at another end of Little Whinging.

Dudley cried until his best friend Piers Polkiss came. It was kind of funny, how Dudley stopped crying immediately after seeing the other boy. After being pushed around and punched a little the Dursleys, Piers and Arielle settled in the car.

* * * * *

Uncle Vernon often talked about his work in the car and loved ranting about banks, Arielle, his employees, Arielle, people with strange habits, Arielle and generally everything that wasn't as normal as he was. Today for instance he was snarling something about motorcycles. Arielle suddenly remembered her dream. She had that dream quite often. It was something about a flying motorcycle with a big man sitting astride it. She didn't know what to think of it. Even so, she kept her mouth shut. Her Uncle didn't like listening to her so she didn't say anything about her having this particular dream. It would only give her another pair of bruises. Looking around herself she noticed that they were stopping. Dudley and Piers pushed her out of the car so that she fell on the pavement and got out themselves. Trying to stop her tears from flowing down her cheeks, Arielle nursed her bleeding hand and stood up. She wouldn't give them the pleasure to watch her cry. She got that enough at home.

After getting past the Entrance, Dudley and Piers got ice-cream and after the lady at the desk asked Arielle what flavour she would like, Uncle Vernon had resorted to buy her the cheapest lollipop that tasted like lemon, but Arielle was happy. That was the first time that she actually got a candy.

She licked it happily and tried to make herself as small as she could so that she could get away from the Dursleys for at least a few minutes. After quickly hiding herself behind a bin and waiting for the Dursleys to disappear from her view, Arielle made her way to the opposite side of the Zoo. She snickered at the monkey that reminded her of Dudley if he had brown hair and patted the horses. She always had a strange affinity to animals. As she made her way to the Reptile House she quietly made her way towards the biggest snake. After seeing Dudley and Piers both watching and agitating the sleeping snake she decided to wait for them to move on. Soon the boys were bored and made their way to other snakes and reptiles. Arielle stepped to the glass and peered down at the snake. It raised its head and looked at her. Arielle cocked her head and the snake rolled her eyes as though to say, "I get that all the time . . . "

Arielle laughed quietly and nodded. "I know how you feel, being stared by the people day after day."

The snake nodded vigorously as Arielle turned her attention to the plate with the name of the snake. Apparently the snake was a Boa Constrictor and came from Brazil. Just as she was about to ask how it was there, she noticed the small writing 'Bred in Captivity'. Signing sympathetically at the snake she said, "I'm sorry that you never knew your parents. I never knew mine either."

The snake hissed a little and just as Arielle was about to say something else, she was suddenly pushed to the ground by her big fat cousin. She glared at him through the hair that was in her eyes. Dudley leaned to the glass and started calling for Piers. He must have seen her talking to it . . . 

That was bad.

A splash brought Arielle back to the Earth and she gaped at Dudley who was in the small pool of water that was INSIDE the glass container. The glass was gone and the Boa Constrictor slithered out of it. As she passed Arielle, Arielle could swear that she heard the snake say, "Thanks, Amiga!"

She was about to say something in return when a shriek made her wince. It seemed as if Aunt Petunia discovered Dudley's predicament. As the Zoo Keeper rushed to them Arielle was roughly pulled up from the ground by her irate Uncle. His eyes told stories.

Arielle gulped. She knew what that expression meant — punishment. Dudley was quickly wrapped in a warm blanket and the Dursleys plus Piers were given hot tea to calm them down. The Keeper kept repeating, "How on Earth did the glass disappear?"

Arielle made herself as small as she could and watched her Uncle's purple face.

She was in for it.

As soon as they returned home she was grabbed by her hair and stuffed in her cupboard. Gently putting her hand on her throbbing skull, Arielle sat on her little cot. She was trembling in fear. She never liked being punished. Sometimes she would be beaten; sometimes her Uncle made her do chores for months and if she didn't finish them in time, guess what happened . . . she was beaten again. 

Sighing softly she mentally prepared herself for her 'torture session' as she called it. After a few hours, her Uncle came to the cupboard and started the punishment. After he was finished, Arielle was barely conscious.

* * * * *

The punishment that Arielle got lasted for a long time and in time that she was allowed to go out of her cupboard it was already summer holiday. As Arielle made breakfast, or at least trying to do so, the mail came. Uncle Vernon grunted from behind his newspaper, "Dudley, get the mail."

Dudley decided to have none of that and smacked his Smeltings stick on the table with such force that the glass with his milk jumped and fell on the floor. Yay. Another chore for her. His father bought it to him along with his Smeltings uniform, which consisted of maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hat called boater. Smeltings was also the secondary school that Uncle Vernon himself went to and Piers was accepted there too. Arielle on the other hand was accepted at Stonewall High, the local comprehensive.  
"Make Arielle get it!" Dudley whined. Uncle Vernon never said no to any of Dudley's wishes so Arielle made her way to the doormat where the post lay and picked it up. There was a bill, a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge and . . . a letter for Miss Arielle Potter.

That was her!

The envelope was made of parchment, so it seemed and it didn't have a stamp. There in the middle of it was a loopy handwriting.

_Miss Arielle Potter_  
Cupboard under the Stairs   
4, Privet Drive   
Little Whinging   
Surrey 

Making her way back to the kitchen she absentmindedly gave the bill and the postcard to her Uncle, still staring at the letter in her hands. Uncle Vernon grunted something and after a few moments said, "Marge is ill, ate a funny whelk."

It was at that moment that several things happened. Arielle was just about to open her letter as Dudley yelled, "Dad, Dad! Arielle's got a letter!"

Her letter was pulled out of her hands and her Uncle sneered, "Who would be writing to you, whelp?"

After opening her letter, Uncle Vernon gasped and barely made out, "P-Petunia!" Aunt Petunia read the first few sentences and gasped in horror, while Dudley smacked his father on the head and whined, "I want to read the letter too! Give it to me!"

Arielle sat there stunned but those words made her jump up and yell, "Give it back, it's mine! It's my letter!"

That seemed to put her Uncle out of the stupor as he angrily tore the letter in front of her eyes and drag her to the cupboard. After locking her in, she heard him grumbling, "How dare they! The freaks! Following us, no doubt!"

She wondered who he was talking about, but remembered that it was probably the sender. And her Uncle knew who it was. That fact alone made Arielle even more depressed than she was when she wasn't able to read her letter. 

Later that day, her Uncle opened her cupboard and gave her a strained smile. He said, "Your Aunt and I have been talking, and we decided that the cupboard was too small for you. You'll move to Dudley's second bedroom."

Arielle made a small sound in the back of her throat. Plucking up her courage she asked, "Where's my letter?" Her Uncle turned purple and barked, "It was addressed to a wrong person, I burned it." Arielle protested, getting angrier as the seconds passed, "How could it be the wrong address? It had my cupboard on it!"

This remark got her a punch in the eye and her Uncle yelled, "Silence! You'll do as I say! Go to your new room and stay there! No dinner for you!"

Arielle sighed and resigned to her fate once more. It took her only one time to get all of her possessions in the room where Dudley kept his toys and books. Her eyes brightened a little at the prospect of reading those books before she remembered that she was forbidden to read. Throwing herself on her bed she decided that while she would give anything to move to this bedroom a few days ago, now she would give everything for that letter that arrived for her that morning. Looking up at the ceiling she heard Dudley screaming, "M-Mummy! I don't want her to be in my room! Make her get out of it! I need it!"

Arielle suppressed a snort and looked around herself. There wasn't a toy that wasn't broken. A glance in the corner of the room made her realize that the camera that Dudley got for his birthday a few months ago was broken already. Turning her attention on the books that lay on the shelves untouched she stood up and read the titles. There was the Lord of the Rings collection, some bedtime stories and classic works. She ran her fingers down the spine of a particularly interesting title, and sighed in frustration.

Next morning, Uncle Vernon was kind enough to tell Dudley to get the mail for him. It resulted in Dudley's cry of, "There's another one!" Uncle Vernon turned purple again and by the sounds of it, tackled his son on the ground to get the letter from his obese fingers. Next day, Arielle tried to sneak down the stairs at six o' clock to get the letter, but ended up being punished for stepping on Uncle Vernon's face as he slept in a sleep bag in front of the door.

The day after that three more letters arrived for Arielle. This time addressed to the Smallest Bedroom. Uncle Vernon decided to take a day off from work and started to nail the letter-box while murmuring, "No more mail through this letter-box."

On Friday no fewer than twenty-four letters came for Arielle in the eggs that a surprised milkman gave to Aunt Petunia through the window. Aunt Petunia mixed them in the mixing machine. Then the next day there was fifty letters, which made their way in the house through the bathroom windows. 

Sunday was a relatively calm day, as the Dursleys sat in the living room chatting stupidly about whatever, while Arielle served them their cookies and tea. 

"Fine day, Sunday," grumbled Uncle Vernon happily while munching on his cookie. "Why is that Dudley?" 

Dudley shrugged his shoulders and Arielle said, "Because there's no post on Sundays, perhaps?" Uncle Vernon ignored the sarcastic question and said, "Right you are, Arielle. No post on Sundays! HA!"

He was about to add something else when a letter flew in his face making him drop the cookie. The whole house started shaking and suddenly hundreds of letters found their way in the house through the fireplace. Arielle jumped on the empty couch and tried to catch a letter, but Uncle Vernon had different plans. Grabbing her around her waist and dragging her to the cupboard, he locked her in and yelled to her Aunt, 

"Petunia, get your things! We're getting away! Far away where they can't find us."

A few minutes later, the Dursley family and Arielle could be found in a car on their driveway. Dudley was sobbing as his father had hit him when he wanted to take his computer and TV with him. 

Arielle stared through the window as they drove on the motorway. Once in a while Uncle Vernon would change directions, mumbling something about shaking them off. They drove and drove and drove and drove and — guess what — drove. Aunt Petunia and Dudley decided that it would be a smart thing to do to be quiet and let Uncle Vernon do what he thought was the right thing. 

They stopped at a motel and Uncle Vernon rented a room for them. The next morning when the Dursleys were eating breakfast while Arielle was watching them again, a young woman came to their table and asked, 

"Excuse me, but is one of you Miss Arielle Potter?" She showed them a yellowish envelope with the address,

_Miss Arielle Potter_  
Room 17   
Railview Hotel   
Cokeworth 

Her Uncle turned purple again and, even before Arielle opened her mouth to say that it was her, made his way after the woman.

They drove again.

Uncle Vernon would stop at odd places and left them in the car, muttering something about finding a place to hide. It was nearing the evening as they finally stopped again and Uncle Vernon left them in the car again. After a few minutes he returned with a stupid grin on his face.

"Come on, I found the perfect place!"

Following behind him, Arielle saw a shaky house on the top of a small island in the middle of the sea. An old man took them over the water and left them there. She trudged behind her relatives and watched as Uncle Vernon opened the door of the house. He tried to make a fire, keyword tried, and Aunt Petunia took the blankets that were on the couch and made the bed for her and Uncle Vernon. She also put two blankets on the couch and tucked Dudley in, while Arielle was left to lie on the cold floor without anything to cover her. 

Shivering in the cold, Arielle suddenly realised which day it was. Dudley had moaned that today was the Great Humberto. And since Dudley knew the days of the week, because he watched various TV programmes, she also knew that tomorrow would be her birthday.

She would turn eleven.

Drawing herself a birthday cake in the dust, she waited for midnight to strike to make a wish and blow the dust-candles. She watched Dudley's digital clock and counted silently. 

Ten — Nine — Eight — What was that? Something was outside — Seven — Six — Five — Four — Three — Two — One -

BAM!


	3. The Man Who Came For Arielle

  
Author's notes: we meet Snape in this chapter and he takes Arielle to Hogwarts  


* * *

  
_—CHAPTER TWO—  
 **The Man Who Came For Arielle**_  
* * * * *

BAM!

The door of the shack fell off its hinges. Arielle quickly scurried off to a dark corner while Dudley woke up with a squeak. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia ran in the room. Uncle Vernon held a rifle in his hands which shook.

A tall shadow appeared at the doorstep. It was a man. He had shoulder-length black hair and a hooked nose. His face was set in a fierce scowl that made Arielle's hair stand up at her neck. She shivered subconsciously and stared at the man. It was obvious that the man didn't notice her yet as his black eyes fell on Dudley who cowered behind his mother. The stranger sneered at the child and asked in a cold voice, "Where is Potter?"

Uncle Vernon murmured something that strongly reminded Arielle of 'freak'. She started as she heard the rifle cock and stared at her Uncle. Was he really going to shoot the man? 

"There is no Potter here! You are breaking and entering! Get out of the house!" The man didn't even flinch under her Uncle's words; he merely smirked and pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a stick.

Why on Earth he would pull out a stick was beyond Arielle's mind. The man flicked his wrist and murmured something. The rifle suddenly flew out of her Uncle's hands and landed in the man's free hand. Her Uncle squeaked, not unlike a rat or a mouse would and stepped in front of his family, minus Arielle of course. The man’s gaze turned even colder, if that was possible and he almost hissed his next words, "One last time. Where is Potter?”

Arielle knew that she couldn’t hide anymore. She sighed and stepped out of the corner she was hiding in. 

“I’m here.”

The man sneered and grabbed her hand. Arielle gritted her teeth to not scream out in pain. That was the hand that was bruised the most, not to mention bleeding from where her uncle had slammed her in the corner of the motel after they left it. She couldn’t do anything but let herself be dragged away from her ‘family’.

The man’s black robes were billowing dramatically as he walked down the road to the shore. Arielle almost fell numerous times as she tripped over the rocks and only his hand stopped her from falling on her nose. He stopped so suddenly that Arielle stumbled and almost fell again if it wasn’t for the man’s second hand that grabbed her shoulder and held her straight. She hissed in pain and jerked away from him. The man glared at her and said, 

"Sit in the boat.”

Arielle thought of disobeying him, since she didn’t even know his name, but decided against it. Sitting in the boat she silently watched as the man sat opposite her, pulled that stick from his pocket again and tapped the boat. Suddenly the boat lurched forward and Arielle had to grab the edge of it, to prevent her falling over board. The man didn’t seem to notice that, or he simply ignored her. From his other pocket he pulled a small button and with a swish of his stick changed it in a magazine of some sort. Its title was Potions Weekly.

Arielle didn’t recognize it. After about half an hour she couldn’t stay quiet anymore. Clearing her throat quietly she drew the man’s attention to herself. She said, "If you don’t mind. Who are you and where are you taking me?" The man’s gaze hardened again and he sneered, "It’s none of your business." 

Arielle visibly bristled. None of her business? 

"None of my business? Being kidnapped by a total stranger is none of my business?" She quickly bit her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth. She put the hand on it and quickly said, "Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you, sir . . ."

The man’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he returned his attention back to the magazine. Minutes passed again before the man spoke, "My name is Severus Snape, and I came to check why you never answered your letter." 

Arielle nodded appreciatively, although she wasn’t sure if he saw it or not. She decided that the best way to treat the man was to be polite, so she said, "Thank you. I’m Arielle Potter.”

She shrugged and almost hissed out in pain. She forgot about her shoulder. She gently wrapped her hand around it and tried to figure out where the pain was the worst. After a moment she answered his second question, if it was a question at all. 

"I never replied to the letter because I wasn’t allowed to read it.”

Mr Snape’s eyes settled on her again as he lowered the magazine and he asked in a strangely calm voice, "You were not allowed?" Arielle shook her head. "Of course I wasn’t. My Uncle ripped the first letter in front of my eyes, and then when the next letters came they just destroyed them again.”

She felt strangely safe with the man, even though she couldn’t explain the feeling . . . but maybe it was because she was feeling light-headed . . . all that blood loss and such. She turned her attention on Mr Snape again and waited for his reaction. She didn’t receive one. The man didn’t even look at her face but at her shoulder that she was still holding.

Suddenly she felt the wetness on her hand again. She drew it back and stared a little at the blood that was on it. She thanked whatever deity that was, that she wasn’t a sissy concerning blood, as she heard Mr Snape curse silently as he fumbled for something in his pockets. She watched as he pulled out a vial of some sorts with a sickly green substance in it. Giving it to her, she accepted it and watched the golden swirls in it.

"Well, what are you waiting for!" Mr Snape snapped at her. She looked up confused. 

"What?" 

The man’s lips quirked in a sneer as he said, "Drink it up.”

She obeyed immediately. Downing the drink she gave a shudder at the disgusting taste and swayed a little. She would have fallen in the water if it wasn’t for Mr Snape’s hand that grabbed her and stopped the swaying. She felt dizzy and couldn’t keep her eyes open. The last thing she heard was Mr Snape’s cursing . . . again . . .

When she opened her eyes she felt disoriented. It wasn’t until her head stopped spinning that she noticed that she wasn’t in the boat anymore. She quickly sat up and looked around herself. She was in a bed with white linen sheets and the big room smelt like a hospital.

Was she in the hospital? What happened?

Before she could do anything else, the doors to the room opened and an old man stepped through. Behind him were the man that took her away from the Dursleys and an elder woman that wore a white robe. Arielle realized that it was the nurse. She had to be the nurse, since the minute the woman set her eyes on the girl, she rushed forward, pushed Arielle to lie back down on the bed and did a series of flicks and waves with a stick that was similar to the stick that Mr Snape had.

The nurse also murmured some words that Arielle thought were Latin. A small cough brought Arielle out of her musings and she looked at the old man and then at the black man that obviously brought her here. The man with silver beard and half-moon spectacles looked at her with twinkling blue eyes that reminded her of something, but she couldn’t quite decide what. After a minute of silent staring, the nurse broke the silence with an exclamation of, "Merlin, what were you doing to yourself, child?”

Arielle’s gaze turned on the nurse in confusion. "Don’t you eat at all?" was the nurse’s next question. Arielle blushed in discomfort and she mumbled something. The nurse asked her to repeat herself so she closed her eyes and repeated what she mumbled, this time as clear as the crystal. 

"Not usually.”

That brought another question up. This time from the old man. "Why not?" 

The man had a calm voice that soothed Arielle’s nerves and she relaxed slightly. Looking up in those blue eyes she replied, "Because I’m not worth the food nor am I worth the money." 

The Snape Man turned his attention to the girl on the bed and he sneered, but didn’t make a noise. Arielle looked up at the nurse and asked the most obvious questions, "Where am I, and who are you?”

The old man chuckled merrily and patted her head a little. "I must apologize for not introducing us sooner, Miss Potter. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the Headmaster of the school which you’ll attend in September. The woman that took care of you is our nurse, Madam Pomfrey and you already know our Potions professor, Severus Snape.”

Arielle nodded and leaned back on the pillows that the nurse put behind her back while she wasn’t watching. Madam Pomfrey gave her a blood red potion and explained that it was a Nutrition Potion and when she drank it, the potion would provide her with the most important nutrition until she was allowed to eat. She watched as the nurse and the headmaster conversed quietly at the nurse’s desk and turned her eyes on Mr Sna- no, he was a professor.

"Um," she said quietly. "Could you tell me what you gave me to drink before I passed out?”  
Professor Snape gave her a cold glare and said, "It was a simple Healing Potion. But as I was not aware that you haven’t eaten anything, it had some undesired side-effects.”  
Arielle nodded to show she understood. Then she decided to press another matter. 

"What is that stick that you used?”

The professor gave her another glare and took the stick out of his pocket. He let her study it for a few moments and said, "This is a wand. We use it to do magic with it.”

Arielle scoffed and before she could stop herself she quoted her Uncle’s favourite words, 

"There’s no such thing as magic.”

The glare turned even colder as before. The voice that the professor used was like ice. 

"Which stupid idiot told you that?”

Arielle looked down at her hands and whispered, "My Uncle.”


End file.
